RPF constable collapses on platform, dies of head injuries

A 35-year-old female constable attached to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) died on Saturday due to severe head injuries,when she collapsed on the railway platform due to high blood pressure.

The incident took place on Saturday after 8 pm when constable Shruti Chopdekar, posted at platform number 4 of Thane railway station, was about to leave. While waiting to board the train, she fell unconscious and collapsed on the floor. Her head hit the floor hard and as a result, she suffered injuries. Colleagues rushed her to the nearby Thane Civil Hospital. Around 11 pm, she was declared dead.

Sad demise: Shruti Chopdekar collapsed on a platform. Earlier in the day, she had complained of a headache but ignored it

According to the doctors, Chopdekar died due to brain haemorrhage and high blood pressure. However, her family members alleged that the increasing work pressure had taken a toll on her health, and that was the main cause of her death.

Shailesh Chopdekar, her husband, said, “Shruti has been working with the police force for the last 15 years. For the past one-and-a-half years, her duty time has increased. Earlier, she used to work for eight hours, but lately, she had been on duty for more than 12 hours.” Shruti, who stayed with her family at Nahur, was the sole breadwinner of the family. Her husband is a driver who has no permanent job.

A colleague of Shruti, requesting anonymity, said, “I am from a separate division, but I came to know that she had been complaining of a severe headache since morning. But she and everyone else ignored it, and she continued working.” She further added, “Our work is not so hectic on normal days, but lately, the workload has increased due to the continuous bandobast duty.”

Family members want Shruti’s husband Shailesh to be given her job, as he has two children to take care of. “I will ask the higher authorities to grant my wife’s position to me,” Shailesh told this correspondent.

He further stated that if the request was not met with, the family would appeal in the courts for justice.